It's interesting that the format or concept of "Classic Hits" is, at least in the opinion of Radio-Info, tied to the 60's/70's. I've also noticed that most of the time on most "classic hits" stations that they're merely just another classic rock station. I don't say "merely" in a negative way but to suggest that a true classic hits format will work. When I say "classic hits" I'm talking about the more pop side of music. I also think of the time period from 1967 to 1986. Grassroots, Gladys Knight, Steely Dan, Harry Chapin, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Chicago, Three Dog Night, Elton John, Doobie Brothers, Melanie, Spinners, etc., etc. The pop/top 40 side of music from the late 60s thru the mid 80s. A few rockier tunes that were big like Born To Be Wild, but 80% on the pop side. The Track is close but I don't find it very interesting to listen to. Opinions?
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Classic Hits or Classic Rock?
- Thread starter Steppenwolf
- Start date
I know where you're coming from, Step.
"Hits" definitely has a more "pop" whiff to it. As has been overstated by me on the boards, when I hear WASK say "Super Hits" and then they fire up Bad Company or Journey, it doesn't ring true. I start thinking of the Rocket and KHY.
"Classic" has become a word with no meaning to it anymore. WE care in the rarified air of the bitter radio community, but the average stupid easy-to-please listener thinks EVERYTHING is a classic (or how about a song you hear MORE NOW than when it as initially on the air? Why and how does that happen?).
I think if you were to cover the span you talked about, Step (1967-1986) and just keep it uptempo, you'd still have plenty of "hits" to choose from and wouldn't have to stick in the Eagles or Doobies or something like that just "because it was a hit".
"Hits" definitely has a more "pop" whiff to it. As has been overstated by me on the boards, when I hear WASK say "Super Hits" and then they fire up Bad Company or Journey, it doesn't ring true. I start thinking of the Rocket and KHY.
"Classic" has become a word with no meaning to it anymore. WE care in the rarified air of the bitter radio community, but the average stupid easy-to-please listener thinks EVERYTHING is a classic (or how about a song you hear MORE NOW than when it as initially on the air? Why and how does that happen?).
I think if you were to cover the span you talked about, Step (1967-1986) and just keep it uptempo, you'd still have plenty of "hits" to choose from and wouldn't have to stick in the Eagles or Doobies or something like that just "because it was a hit".
Thanks for the reply.
The Eagles & the Doobie Brothers are "trademark" sounds of that era. However, in the case of the Eagles I'd play "Take It Easy" but not "Hotel California". With the Doobie Brothers, they did a lot of uptempo songs...they'd be one of the staples of this kind of a format.
The Eagles & the Doobie Brothers are "trademark" sounds of that era. However, in the case of the Eagles I'd play "Take It Easy" but not "Hotel California". With the Doobie Brothers, they did a lot of uptempo songs...they'd be one of the staples of this kind of a format.
Lafayette Unplugged said:
You bring up a whole new area of discussion.
The Doobies and Eagles weren't "trademark" sounds of that era for me, because I was listening to The Sweet, The Raspberries, etc. on AM Top 40.
FM was something fancy and unformatted in my neck of the woods. I heard Vicki Lawrence and Tony Orlando and Dawn lots more on the radio than "Hotel California".
Again, I think of "hits" and "Pop" tunes come to mind. "Classic" or "Classic Rock" is Floyd, Zeppelin, and the like. The image of the band overtakes any staples from some group's catalogues.
That's what's in MY head, anyway!! ;D
The Doobies and Eagles weren't "trademark" sounds of that era for me, because I was listening to The Sweet, The Raspberries, etc. on AM Top 40.
FM was something fancy and unformatted in my neck of the woods. I heard Vicki Lawrence and Tony Orlando and Dawn lots more on the radio than "Hotel California".
Again, I think of "hits" and "Pop" tunes come to mind. "Classic" or "Classic Rock" is Floyd, Zeppelin, and the like. The image of the band overtakes any staples from some group's catalogues.
That's what's in MY head, anyway!! ;D
Ur-A-Dawg said:
Good point.
If you like anything before 1970 anymore, you should have someone come to your house, remove all your radios, and then take them to the town square and burn them.
"Now here's some Classic Rock from Pearl Jam!" AAAAAAaaaaarrrrrrrrrrggggghhhh!
Only for the ignorant.
Ur-A-Dawg said:
Here's to an "All 50's" format! I'd listen to that!
A "no brainer" buy for funeral homes, nursing homes, hospitals, and most Cadillac dealerships!
Instant revenue-producer.
Sadly enough, listening to Buddy Holly, Elvis, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Roy Orbison would be the new "Alternative" format because you DON'T HEAR THOSE ARTISTS ANYMORE!!!
I love when music that sells in the millions/billions is labeled "alternative". Alternative to WHAT? Mainstream mega-selling music.
If that's the case, Kenny Rogers, Leo Sayer, and Cliff Richard are ALTERNATIVE artists, not Staind.
;D
A "no brainer" buy for funeral homes, nursing homes, hospitals, and most Cadillac dealerships!
Instant revenue-producer.
Sadly enough, listening to Buddy Holly, Elvis, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Roy Orbison would be the new "Alternative" format because you DON'T HEAR THOSE ARTISTS ANYMORE!!!
I love when music that sells in the millions/billions is labeled "alternative". Alternative to WHAT? Mainstream mega-selling music.
If that's the case, Kenny Rogers, Leo Sayer, and Cliff Richard are ALTERNATIVE artists, not Staind.
;D
The difference between classic rock and classic hits is moot for the most part.
Classic hits is a tad bit calmer than most classic rock stations as they try to appeal to a wider audience (it's still a male format, but female friendly). On a classic hits station, you'll hear 90% of the same things you'd hear on a classic rocker plus some pop/rock crossover tunes like "Africa" by Toto, "Somebody's Baby" by Jackson Browne, any Genesis or Phil Collins tune from the 80s, lots of Elton John, etc. Classic rock stations may play these artists and maybe even these songs as well, but the frequency levels are quite different.
Classic hits is a tad bit calmer than most classic rock stations as they try to appeal to a wider audience (it's still a male format, but female friendly). On a classic hits station, you'll hear 90% of the same things you'd hear on a classic rocker plus some pop/rock crossover tunes like "Africa" by Toto, "Somebody's Baby" by Jackson Browne, any Genesis or Phil Collins tune from the 80s, lots of Elton John, etc. Classic rock stations may play these artists and maybe even these songs as well, but the frequency levels are quite different.
Lafayette Unplugged said:
One would really think 50s and early 60s music would be the new 'standards' format. It's strange that this "real oldies" format has been lackluster to say the least when it was attempted in various markets that lead the way with top-notch personalities in this music's heyday.
Then again, some of the reasoning for failure may be due to the fact that baby boomers actually had an avenue to catch this music remastered in stereo on FM when oldies stations began popping up on the FM dial across the country a couple decades ago. Maybe if a 50s & early 60s oldies format were tried today on FM instead of AM, the format would be embraced by more boomers and perhaps the same advertisers Unplugged mentioned...and more.
Apollo7979 said:
Great point. Programmers, listeners, etc. have to be prepared for when that era is phased out or relegated to "American Standards" because groups who would listen to it for long periods of time are DYING OFF!
Standards: 1955-1967 (birth of rock to summer of love)
Oldies: 1967-1975 (Sgt Pepper to stadium rock)
Classic rock: 1975-1985 (Physical Graffitti to Pyromania)
Rock: 1985-1995 (last DLR Van Halen-grunge)
Active Rock: 1995-present (new metal to current power pop)
Isn't that close to where it should already be? Are most stations still lagging THAT far behind?
Ur-A-Dawg said:
I'm sure there's somebody in a bigger market playing that EXACT playlist making a ton of coin who's happy to have the gig.
;D
D
donkeypuncher
Guest
GREAT POST FRIEND Im liking this so much that I just printed out two copies of it one for at home next to the computer and one hear at my space too i really like the way you split up the different periods you could almost be a tour guide at a music museum or the hall of fame or some thing along those lines!Lafayette Unplugged said:
I have to admit, I often feel the same way.
There's a lot of material out there to keep a classic rock/hits station fresh while rotating it with the same high-testing hits...and I'm not talking about obscure songs, either. I think there are several programmers, operations managers, GMs, and consultants out there that feel the same songs over and over again without freshening up the playlist is a good idea. Instead, it promotes heavy burnout rates and lower ratings. One can only listen to "You Shook Me All Night Long" and "Money" so many times.
There's a lot of material out there to keep a classic rock/hits station fresh while rotating it with the same high-testing hits...and I'm not talking about obscure songs, either. I think there are several programmers, operations managers, GMs, and consultants out there that feel the same songs over and over again without freshening up the playlist is a good idea. Instead, it promotes heavy burnout rates and lower ratings. One can only listen to "You Shook Me All Night Long" and "Money" so many times.
Clear Channel just did something really dumb in Raleigh, NC. They have four stations. They were an established CHR, a relatively new AAA, a heritage Classic Rock, and a dismal Gold AC. The AAA has been beating the Classic Rock and the Gold AC in all key demos since day one. They just flipped the Classic Rock to country, making it the third country in a market about the size of Indianapolis. THEN they flipped the growing AAA to the dying Classic Rock format.
They reason ??? The sales department didn't know how to sell AAA. They didn't get it. It was "outside the box". The listeners were responding positively and the format was growing. Classic Rock numbers were looking like the White House's. But now they have to sell against a WFMS type powerhouse WQDR. And they are calling the station "The Rooster". How long before were start hearing "Look out QDR, the big ------'s in town".
Another casualty of the shakeup??? Bob and Tom.
This why I burn MP3 discs of KPIG for my commute, the last real radio station.
I think every radio executive's first job must have been at a fast-food franchise restaurant. That must be where the learned the "do it our way" mentality.
The AAA was the only station I could stand to listen too. The format change came without notice, so I was shocked when I got in my car last Monday morning. I wondered if they were stunting. So I committed myself to listen to the station until the played "Barracuda". As expected, it played within the first hour I listened to the station. Bye-bye John Mayer and Jack Johnson, hello Heart.
You people in radio ought to be ashamed.
They reason ??? The sales department didn't know how to sell AAA. They didn't get it. It was "outside the box". The listeners were responding positively and the format was growing. Classic Rock numbers were looking like the White House's. But now they have to sell against a WFMS type powerhouse WQDR. And they are calling the station "The Rooster". How long before were start hearing "Look out QDR, the big ------'s in town".
Another casualty of the shakeup??? Bob and Tom.
This why I burn MP3 discs of KPIG for my commute, the last real radio station.
I think every radio executive's first job must have been at a fast-food franchise restaurant. That must be where the learned the "do it our way" mentality.
The AAA was the only station I could stand to listen too. The format change came without notice, so I was shocked when I got in my car last Monday morning. I wondered if they were stunting. So I committed myself to listen to the station until the played "Barracuda". As expected, it played within the first hour I listened to the station. Bye-bye John Mayer and Jack Johnson, hello Heart.
You people in radio ought to be ashamed.
If the format was going to be abbreviated with 3 letters, AAA should've been labeled zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Boring beyond compare.
twc27614 said:
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz is in fact 20 letters, not 3. What's boring about AAA, the music, or the presentation? The music is dead on with what's selling on the Amazon.com and other web sites. So it must be the presentation. So why do stations like KFOG and KINK survive year after year. If you don't "get it", it's boring to you. I don't get country. It all sounds like it was written and produced by the same three teams (In fact it is). Same with most CHR.
Funny how AAA does just fine on the coasts, but not in the heartland. Not enough Hall & Oates and Heart I guess. You want to talk about boring....
Funny how AAA does just fine on the coasts, but not in the heartland. Not enough Hall & Oates and Heart I guess. You want to talk about boring....
John Mellencamp is a bleeding-heart liberal. That doesn't work in red states like Kansas.
(See the Country/Classic Country thread "Why country doesn't work in big cities" for a point of reference)
(See the Country/Classic Country thread "Why country doesn't work in big cities" for a point of reference)
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